Vascular endothelial growth factor signaling in health and disease: from molecular mechanisms to therapeutic perspectives.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review of molecular mechanisms and therapeutic perspectives without systematic methodology or primary human data
PubMed 40383803 · doi:10.1038/s41392-025-02249-0
What was done
This narrative review summarizes molecular mechanisms, receptor interactions, and physiological roles of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling in angiogenesis, vasculogenesis, and lymphangiogenesis. It synthesizes literature on dysregulated VEGF pathways across various pathologies (cancer, cardiovascular, and ocular diseases) and evaluates VEGF-targeted therapies such as monoclonal antibodies, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, drug delivery platforms, and combination strategies.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical findings, sample sizes, or statistical metrics. It qualitatively notes that excessive VEGF signaling promotes tumor angiogenesis and ocular pathology, while deficient signaling impairs wound healing and ischemic recovery. It describes anti-VEGF treatments as clinically beneficial in oncology and ophthalmology, though limited by therapeutic resistance, adverse effects, and suboptimal efficacy.
Why it matters
This review synthesizes the biological framework of VEGF signaling to contextualize current translational efforts, including combination treatments and novel delivery systems intended to overcome clinical resistance.
Limits
As a narrative review, it lacks systematic search criteria, quality appraisal, and meta-analytic synthesis. No primary clinical or experimental data are provided in the abstract.
Cited by
- supports Cancer utilizes vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) to establish blood supply and facilitate metastasis from primary tumors.